1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to security systems for discrete articles and, more particularly, to a system which incorporates a mechanism to control twisting of a cord about its length as articles, to which the cord is attached, are repositioned.
2. Background Art
In many stores, point of purchase displays are provided to allow articles to be picked up and operated by a potential consumer. This display style is particularly desirable in the electronics industry. Myriad electronic components are currently available, ranging from those that are purely for entertainment, such as music players, to those that are purely functional, such as hand tools. New developments in the electronics field commonly tend towards miniaturization and increased electronic sophistication. As the electronics industry continues to evolve, new products are constantly being introduced with ever increasing capabilities and quality. As just examples, music players and video recorders continue to become smaller, while at the same time their quality is being improved. Personal digital assistants (PDA's) are being offered with more and more features, yet are being downsized for convenience of operation and transportation.
Since sales of consumer electronics often hinge upon the compatibility of potential consumers' requirements or desires with the capabilities of a particular article, it becomes increasingly important for the consumers to experience the particular article in a “hands on” environment prior to purchase. Displays in high volume electronic stores routinely make electronic merchandise readily available to be operated by a potential consumer. While this display style is advantageous for the consumer, it also offers a temptation to thieves. Losses due to theft in the consumer electronics industry continue to skyrocket.
To thwart thievery, while at the same time accommodating a potential consumer's desire to operate small electronic articles, a wide range of security systems have been developed. One commonly used system employs a flexible cord which is biasably retractable into a housing and selectively extendable therefrom. The cord typically has an end connector which is attached to an article that is being monitored. These systems range from ones that are purely mechanical, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,183, to those that are electronically operated, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 37,590E.
These types of systems lend themselves to being set up in different manners at displays. In one conventional display arrangement, the cord storing housing is mounted at one side of a shelf or wall and projects therethrough to be engaged with an article to be secured on the other side of the shelf/wall. The article is inspected by being grasped by the potential consumer. By exerting a force on the article, the cord is selectively drawn out against a spring force to an extent determined by the length of the cord. By releasing the force on the article, the article is drawn through the retracting cord to against a surface on either the shelf, the wall, or the housing.
One problem that has arisen with this type of system is that the cord tends to be twisted as the article associated therewith is handled by a potential consumer. A potential consumer, through operation of the article, may pivot the article so as to impart a twist to the cord about its length. The imparted twist may remain as the article is returned to a stored state and biased against the wall, shelf, or housing. A repeated twisting motion on the cord may produce a cumulative twist that eventually causes the cord to kink. This may undesirably reduce the effective length of the cord and, in a worst case, impair or prevent retraction of the cord into the housing. When this condition occurs, a potential consumer may just place the article upon the shelf, or allow the same to dangle from a wall in a manner that causes the display to become unsightly. Thus, this condition potentially defeats the function of the retracting mechanism and contributes to an unsightly display. To remedy this situation, the store owner may be required to have someone access the housing to untangle the cord. In some system setups, this may necessitate disassembling components in the vicinity of the housing.
The industry continues to seek out solutions that afford the functional advantages of a retractable cord, without the inherent cord twisting problems.